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'''Bowser Jr.''' ({{ja|クッパJr.|Kuppa Jr.}}, ''Koopa Jr.'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was revealed for the game along with the rest of the veterans on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L93H7YC-83o June 12th, 2018]. He returns with his Junior Clown Car, and the [[Koopalings]] return as [[Alternate costume|alternate costumes]] alongside him. As in {{for3ds}}, he is unlockable, instead of being available from the start. Bowser Jr. is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #58]]. | '''Bowser Jr.''' ({{ja|クッパJr.|Kuppa Jr.}}, ''Koopa Jr.'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was revealed for the game along with the rest of the veterans on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L93H7YC-83o June 12th, 2018]. He returns with his Junior Clown Car, and the [[Koopalings]] return as [[Alternate costume|alternate costumes]] alongside him. As in {{for3ds}}, he is unlockable, instead of being available from the start. Bowser Jr. is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #58]]. | ||
As in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', {{s|mariowiki|Caety Sagoian}}'s portrayals of Bowser Jr. from various {{uv|Mario}} spin-off games, along with {{s|mariowiki|Lani Minella}}'s portrayals of Larry, Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy, {{s|mariowiki|Mike Vaughn}}’s portrayals of Iggy and Ludwig, and {{s|mariowiki|Dan Falcone}}'s portrayal of Roy from the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games, were repurposed for ''Ultimate'', in place of the Koopalings' respective voice actors from ''Mario Kart 8'' onward. | As in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', {{s|mariowiki|Caety Sagoian}}'s portrayals of Bowser Jr. from various {{uv|Mario}} spin-off games, along with {{s|mariowiki|Lani Minella}}'s portrayals of Larry, Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy, {{s|mariowiki|Mike Vaughn}}’s portrayals of Iggy and Ludwig, and {{s|mariowiki|Dan Falcone}}'s portrayal of Roy from the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games, were repurposed for ''Ultimate'', in place of the Koopalings' respective voice actors from ''Mario Kart 8'' onward. | ||
Bowser Jr. is ranked 70th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him at the top of the D- tier. This is a very slight improvement over his 47th out of 54 placement in ''SSB4'' | Bowser Jr. is ranked 70th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him at the top of the D- tier. This is a very slight improvement over his 47th out of 54 placement in ''SSB4''. | ||
==How to unlock== | ==How to unlock== | ||
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Bowser Jr.'s smash attacks are go-to KO options, all dealing high knockback and overall damage: forward smash has low ending lag, pokes shields, and can be angled; up smash has very quick startup and ending lag, pressures shields, and denies any aerial approaches; and lastly, down smash has high range and KOs, the earliest out of Junior's smash attacks. | Bowser Jr.'s smash attacks are go-to KO options, all dealing high knockback and overall damage: forward smash has low ending lag, pokes shields, and can be angled; up smash has very quick startup and ending lag, pressures shields, and denies any aerial approaches; and lastly, down smash has high range and KOs, the earliest out of Junior's smash attacks. | ||
Despite his great aerial mobility and damage-racking potential, Bowser Jr. is not without his flaws. One of his biggest problems is that his recovery is glaringly susceptible to gimps. While Abandon Ship! grants him considerable vertical distance, any weak hit | Despite his great aerial mobility and damage-racking potential, Bowser Jr. is not without his flaws. One of his biggest problems is that his recovery is glaringly susceptible to gimps. While Abandon Ship! grants him considerable vertical distance, any weak hit can result in Bowser Jr. not being able to respawn his Clown Car if the player does not [[button mash]]. Another major problem that Bowser Jr. faces is a lack of viable options on shield, making him susceptible to punishes. Bowser Jr. is also a very straightforward character, which can make him quite predictable at times. For instance, Clown Cannon and Mechakoopa are important to Bowser Jr.'s neutral game, making it easy (especially for characters such as {{SSBU|Fox}}) to read and shut down his options. Despite his grab range being rather long, his grabs have noticeable start-up and ending lag, and his throws have low utility due to their inability to KO at reasonable percentages, with only up throw possessing some combo potential. In addition, despite his high power, Bowser Jr. suffers from poor KO potential due to having very few reliable KOing options (his neutral attack finisher, smash attacks and his forward/back aerials), which is further compounded by said options being burdened with considerable ending lag. Many of his attacks, such as his tilts, also have poor range, so he fares surprisingly poorly against swordfighters considering his disjointed moveset. Finally, Bowser Jr. takes more damage if he is hit instead of his Koopa Clown Car, so he is very vulnerable to aerial approaches. Since he always takes priority over his Clown Car when thrown, Bowser Jr. is also particularly vulnerable to being grabbed and can be knocked out earlier than a character of his weight class would by strong kill throws. | ||
Overall, Bowser Jr. fares well with a bait-and-punish playstyle like [[Bowser (SSBU)|his father]] does, but he can also be potent at pressuring the opponent thanks to Clown Cannon, Clown Kart Dash, and Mechakoopa. However, his slew of exploitable weaknesses can make him a bit underwhelming overall, and frequently overshadowed compared to the rest of the cast. Because of this, his results and representation have been below-average overall, like in ''SSB4''. | Overall, Bowser Jr. fares well with a bait-and-punish playstyle like [[Bowser (SSBU)|his father]] does, but he can also be potent at pressuring the opponent thanks to Clown Cannon, Clown Kart Dash, and Mechakoopa. However, his slew of exploitable weaknesses can make him a bit underwhelming overall, and frequently overshadowed compared to the rest of the cast. Because of this, his results and representation have been below-average overall, like in ''SSB4''. | ||
==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''== | ==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''== | ||
Near the end of '' | Near the end of ''Smash 4''{{'}}s metagame, Bowser Jr. had been considered a low-tier character (47th out of 54 characters), due to his linear playstyle, poor disadvantage state that included a very gimpable recovery despite its long distance, and his susceptibility to being racked damage on easier than most other characters due to the Clown Car mechanic. Likely as a result of this, Bowser Jr. was noticeably buffed in his transition to ''Ultimate''. | ||
One of the biggest changes include the Junior Clown Car now taking priority over Bowser Jr.'s hurtbox, which allows him to more reliably tank damage on average more compared to any other fighter, and making his survivability comparable to heavyweights like {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}. The other most notable buffs come from Bowser Jr's special moves, which were previously notorious for their lag and/or situational use. [[Clown Cannon]], a previously slow [[projectile]] with limited use, is now less punishable due to its decrease in lag and increase in lifetime if fired in the air, and two can be in play at once. It also deals far more [[shield damage]]; an uncharged landing cannonball can now hit twice to almost break a full shield. [[Clown Kart Dash]] travels faster, allows Bowser Jr. to keep his double jump if cancelled, no longer requires travel time to deal maximum damage and immediately deals higher damage if the directional key is held forward, while its spinout deals far more knockback, making the move harder-hitting in general and more versatile. [[Abandon Ship!]]'s hammer swing has more range and a longer duration. Finally, [[Mechakoopa]]s start moving quicker and bite onto victims, guaranteeing that the second hit will connect. | |||
Bowser Jr. | Aside from the buffs given to his survivability and special moveset, Bowser Jr. has also received several quality of life changes. Many of his moves either connect better (such as [[neutral attack|his jab]] and [[dash attack]], the latter being especially relevant as the final hit has good KO potential) or have had their misleading hitboxes adjusted or their blindspots removed (such as [[up tilt]] and [[grab]], the latter being given more range). Up throw has less endlag and knockback that renders it now capable of starting combos, while his down throw now deals much more damage, improving his previously lackluster grab game. Finally, Bowser Jr. benefits from some of the changes to universal game mechanics: the universal frame 3 [[jumpsquat]] allows Bowser Jr. to use his formidable aerials more effectively, and the increase in mobility contributes to both a better grounded [[approach]] for Bowser Jr. and improves his air game and recovery. The reintroduction of directional [[air dodge]]s slightly improves his recovery, allowing him to mix up his long distanced recovery with more ease. The lower [[landing lag]] on his aerial attacks also improves their combo and spacing potential. | ||
However, Bowser Jr. has | However, Bowser Jr. has received some noticeable nerfs. His neutral attack deals much less damage, especially in the infinite part, his forward tilt initially lost its KO potential until patch 9.0.0 where it was given a substantial increase in knockback, and neutral aerial has a sourspot that, while removing the blindspots, has more priority than the sweetspot and makes the attack less consistent. Some of his moves, such as forward smash and down aerial have altered hitbox placements that worsen their consistency, the cannonballs of Clown Cannon can only KO if fully charged, and he cannot air dodge out of Clown Kart Dash anymore. Additionally, Mechakoopas fall over if they walk into a shield, no longer penetrating them and can then be picked up by the opponent, making them much easier to deactivate and the opponent can use them against Bowser Jr. more easily because of this, thus forcing him to be more cautious of his tools. Also, the alteration of priority in his hurtboxes cause Bowser Jr. to take more damage if he is hit instead of his Clown Car, making him more vulnerable to aerial approaches and making his recovery even more vulnerable to gimps after using Abandon Ship!. A few of the universal changes hurt him overall, as his grabs have overall less range (other than his standing grab) and are slower in terms of ending lag. The changes to air dodge mechanics make him easier to edgeguard. The weakening of [[rage]] also slightly hinders his KO power, which lessens the reward and doesn't allow him to take advantage of it as easily due to his lower susceptibility to KOs compared to ''Smash 4''. Bowser Jr. also retains several of his weaknesses from the previous game, including his poor disadvantage state, vulnerable recovery, poor range despite disjointed attacks and a somewhat linear playstyle. | ||
In the end, Bowser Jr's moveset, while not significantly changed in terms of functionality, has been heavily adjusted to be more consistent, granting many of his moves less situational use than in ''Smash 4'', whereas the more notable changes to his special moveset and his faster mobility allow him to zone opponents more effectively and approach with less risk. He has also received a few notable changes in game updates, further contributing to his notable buffs. Although many top-level players claim Bowser Jr. has not significantly improved from ''Smash 4'' due to retaining many of his weaknesses from the previous game and several veteran characters also being buffed to varying degrees, this is contentious due to having a few notable performances in competitive play, thanks to players such as {{Sm|Young Eevey}} and {{Sm|Ketchup}}. As such, Bowser Jr's true viability remains debatable. | |||
In the end, Bowser Jr's moveset, while not significantly changed in terms of functionality, has been heavily adjusted to be more consistent, granting many of his moves less situational use than in '' | |||
{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Bowser Jr.}} | {{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Bowser Jr.}} | ||
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|ssname=Clown Kart Dash | |ssname=Clown Kart Dash | ||
|ssdmg=5.2%-8.8% (collision), 10%-16.3% (doughnut) | |ssdmg=5.2%-8.8% (collision), 10%-16.3% (doughnut) | ||
|ssdesc=The Junior Clown Car transforms into a [[mariowiki:kart|go-kart]] that speeds forward. Gains 9% [[damage-based armor]] on only the Junior Clown Car, effectively granting | |ssdesc=The Junior Clown Car transforms into a [[mariowiki:kart|go-kart]] that speeds forward. Gains 9% [[damage-based armor]] on only the Junior Clown Car, effectively granting 10.22<span style="text-decoration:overline;">72</span>% damage-based armor due to its 0.88× damage multiplier. Tilting the [[Control stick|control stick/circle pad]] in the opposite direction or pressing the attack/special button will cause the Junior Clown Car to perform a {{iw|wikipedia|doughnut|driving}}, which deals significantly more damage and higher knockback to opponents on contact compared to simply charging into them. Spinning out in the air can produce horizontal movement, after which it can be used again. All versions of the move can be [[Jump-canceling|jump canceled]], even right after hitting an opponent, which can lead into combos and mix-ups. | ||
|usname=Abandon Ship! | |usname=Abandon Ship! | ||
|usdmg=5% (contact), 13% (explosion), 15%/10% (hammer) | |usdmg=5% (contact), 13% (explosion), 15%/10% (hammer) | ||
|usdesc=Bowser Jr. ejects himself from the Junior Clown Car. The Junior Clown Car slowly falls to the ground and then explodes with high power when the move is used in midair, whereas it will simply explode after a brief period when used on the ground. When Bowser Jr. is out of the Junior Clown Car, he is not rendered [[helpless]] and can still attack with a hammer (or in the case of the Koopalings, their respective wands), which is powerful enough to KO at medium to high percentages. He is also able to airdodge once | |usdesc=Bowser Jr. ejects himself from the Junior Clown Car. The Junior Clown Car slowly falls to the ground and then explodes with high power when the move is used in midair, whereas it will simply explode after a brief period when used on the ground. When Bowser Jr. is out of the Junior Clown Car, he is not rendered [[helpless]] and can still attack with a hammer (or in the case of the Koopalings, their respective wands), which is powerful enough to KO at medium to high percentages. He is also able to airdodge once. However, taking any weak hit while out of the Junior Clown Car prevents another use of the move without button mashing or landing. The Junior Clown Car's angle usually sends opponents at a favorable position to follow up with the hammer swing. | ||
|dsname=Mechakoopa | |dsname=Mechakoopa | ||
|dsdmg=2% (contact), 7% (explosion) | |dsdmg=2% (contact), 7% (explosion) | ||
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|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"|Description | ! scope="row"|Description | ||
|Ig - gy! || Ig - gy! || Ig - gy! *claps 3 times* || Ig - gy! *claps 3 times* || | |Ig - gy! || Ig - gy! || Ig - gy! *claps 3 times* || Ig - gy! *claps 3 times* || | ||
|} | |} | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
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|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"|Description | ! scope="row"|Description | ||
|Lem - my! || Lem - my! || Lem - my! *claps 3 times* || Lem - my! *claps 2 times* Lem - my! || | |Lem - my! || Lem - my! || Lem - my! *claps 3 times* || Lem - my! *claps 2 times* Lem - my! || | ||
|} | |} | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
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|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"|Description | ! scope="row"|Description | ||
|Lud - wig! || Lud - wig! || Lud - wig! *claps 3 times* || Lud - wig! || | |Lud - wig! || Lud - wig! || Lud - wig! *claps 3 times* || Lud - wig! || | ||
|} | |} | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
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''See also: [[:Category:Bowser Jr. players (SSBU)]]'' | ''See also: [[:Category:Bowser Jr. players (SSBU)]]'' | ||
*{{Sm|Ketchup|USA}} - Although his placements at majors aren't as high as other Bowser Jr. players, he has | *{{Sm|Ketchup|USA}} - Although his placements at majors aren't as high as other Bowser Jr. players, he has the best wins among all the other Bowser Jr. players, having defeated {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}, {{Sm|Cosmos}}, and {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}. He has also placed 9th at {{Trn|Mega Smash Mondays 240}} and 17th at both {{Trn|Thunder Smash 3: Clash of the Pandas}} and {{Trn|2GG: SoCal Chronicles 2020}}. | ||
*{{Sm|Mutama|Japan}} - Despite being an online-exclusive player, he is considered one of the best Bowser Jr. players in Japan due to his strong online results, such as placing 1st at both [https://smashmate.net/tournament/3808/ Maesuma 177] and [https://smashmate.net/tournament/4182/ Tamisuma SP 230], 2nd at [https://smashmate.net/tournament/3888/ Tamisuma SP 214], 3rd at [https://smashmate.net/tournament/3310/ Tamisuma SP 189] and 5th at [https://smashmate.net/tournament/3570/ Tamisuma SP 200]. He has previously been ranked 2nd on the [https://smashmate.net/record/26/ 3rd] [[Smashmate]] SP ranking and 3rd on the [https://smashmate.net/record/33/ 10th SP ranking]. | *{{Sm|Mutama|Japan}} - Despite being an online-exclusive player, he is considered one of the best Bowser Jr. players in Japan due to his strong online results, such as placing 1st at both [https://smashmate.net/tournament/3808/ Maesuma 177] and [https://smashmate.net/tournament/4182/ Tamisuma SP 230], 2nd at [https://smashmate.net/tournament/3888/ Tamisuma SP 214], 3rd at [https://smashmate.net/tournament/3310/ Tamisuma SP 189] and 5th at [https://smashmate.net/tournament/3570/ Tamisuma SP 200]. He has previously been ranked 2nd on the [https://smashmate.net/record/26/ 3rd] [[Smashmate]] SP ranking and 3rd on the [https://smashmate.net/record/33/ 10th SP ranking]. | ||
*{{Sm|Slime|p=Canada|Canada}} - The best Bowser Jr. player in Canada, placing 13th at {{Trn|HABBY Birthday 2019}}, 33rd at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}}, {{Trn|The Big House 10}}, and {{Trn|Battle of BC 5}}, and 49th at {{Trn|Frostbite 2020}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Chronos}}, {{Sm|jw}}, and {{Sm|SuperGirlKels}}. | *{{Sm|Slime|p=Canada|Canada}} - The best Bowser Jr. player in Canada, placing 13th at {{Trn|HABBY Birthday 2019}}, 33rd at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}}, {{Trn|The Big House 10}}, and {{Trn|Battle of BC 5}}, and 49th at {{Trn|Frostbite 2020}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Chronos}}, {{Sm|jw}}, and {{Sm|SuperGirlKels}}. | ||
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===Tier placement and history=== | ===Tier placement and history=== | ||
Bowser Jr. was initially thought to be one of the worst characters in the game. People immediately noticed that he retained his weaknesses from ''Smash 4'' (poor grounded mobility, susceptible to gimps, lack of range and his playstyle being linear). Despite improvements towards his survivability, Clown Cannon (widely agreed to be one of the worst projectiles in ''Smash 4'') and his grab game, many players claimed that the improvements were not significant enough to compensate for his retained weaknesses. As such, Bowser Jr. was considered a low-tier character at best, with some even going as far as claiming him to be a bottom 3 character. | |||
This negative perception would change as the metagame progressed thanks to noteworthy results from players such as {{Sm|Young Eevey}} and {{Sm|Ketchup}}. Notably, Young Eevey placed 7th at Albion 4, the highest placement for a Bowser Jr. player at a national tournament, while Ketchup picked up notable wins over several top players. Even following the online era, players such as {{Sm|Yoda Cage}} have seen relatively high placements at major tournaments. This has since led to a reevaluation, with many players believing the character is mid-tier and nowhere near as bad as initially perceived. Bowser Jr. is ranked 72nd on the first and current tier list. | |||
=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Mama Peach, Where Are You?== | =={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Mama Peach, Where Are You?== | ||
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**A similar situation also occurred during Bowser Jr.'s clapping animation on the No Contest screen in ''Smash 4''. | **A similar situation also occurred during Bowser Jr.'s clapping animation on the No Contest screen in ''Smash 4''. | ||
*Even though Morton's eye mark has been changed to a lighter gray in this game, his stock icon still shows it as the dark gray it was in ''Smash 4''. | *Even though Morton's eye mark has been changed to a lighter gray in this game, his stock icon still shows it as the dark gray it was in ''Smash 4''. | ||
*When the [[Franklin Badge]] or [[Screw Attack]] items are equipped, if Bowser Jr. does his side taunt, the item will clip through the clown car. This | *When the [[Franklin Badge]] or [[Screw Attack]] items are equipped, if Bowser Jr. does his side taunt, the item will clip through the clown car. This does apply to the other Koopalings. | ||
==References== | ==References== |